


Little Candle-Wax Sculptures

by hiza-chan (callunavulgari)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-26
Updated: 2012-04-26
Packaged: 2017-11-04 08:27:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/391804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callunavulgari/pseuds/hiza-chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Sokka and Zuko never made it off the Boiling Rock?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Candle-Wax Sculptures

**Author's Note:**

> Written for na_no_nai at my AU meme.

The days slide together, slow and sticky-sweet like molasses. The gruel is cold and gritty, the prisoners cruel for the sake of their own amusement, the guards tired and uncaring. It shouldn't be surprising that Sokka barely makes it a week after the cooler incident before he's discovered, but all the same, when Sokka's unmasked in front of most of the prison- all water tribe blue eyes and harsh accents and that fierce determination that lights up his eyes and makes him lift his chin high, Zuko still feels a wave of nervous heat flood his gut.  
  
And Sokka just stands there, proud and haughtier looking than he ever _has_ before, daring any firebender to try and ridicule him. Zuko's not sure if the show is for Sokka's father, but he knows that Hakoda's eyes are closed for the entire duration- even when they mock and taunt, throwing Sokka in beside him because _water tribe filth should stay together_.  
  
Sokka doesn't look him in the face for a week, shoulders trembling with the effort of keeping his spine straight and proud. He's quiet and picks at his food, and says nothing when Suki is moved to a different prison. Zuko stands and watches her go- shudders at the fight she puts up and how for one glorious second before they'd hauled her aboard the ferry he'd thought that just maybe she'd escape.  
  
Hakoda tries to talk to Sokka, about plans and Katara- settles a hand across Sokka's quivering shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Sokka flinches, shies away from his father's hand and stammers out excuses before he turns and walks back to his cell- hopeless and confused. When Zuko turns back, Hakoda's features are twisted with grief. It's so _private_ , every emotion written across his age weary face that Zuko can't bear to look, because his father has _never_ looked at him that way.  
  
+  
  
Zuko firebends every few days, trying out new ways to escape and almost always getting thrown into that godawful cooler afterwards. Sokka watches him with broken eyes and Zuko wants to hiss at him- to yell and scream because Sokka's the self proclaimed 'plan guy' and he should be putting that skill to use instead of lying back like a puppet with its strings cut. Useless.  
  
+  
  
Zuko's sister comes for him during his second month of captivity, and his last image of Sokka is of wide blue eyes, arms flailing and lips pulled back into a snarl as he fights to get at Azula. Hakoda looks old and tired with his hands clenched around his son's waist, just barely holding his son back. Zuko doesn't know what the punishment would be for hitting the crown princess, but he's willing to bet it's a bit worse than the cooler. And Azula would do it too, dodging a fraction of a second too slow just so some water tribe friend of the Avatar is put to death.  
  
He thinks of Katara when she finds out her brother is dead, arriving at the prison too late for a rescue, Hakoda as he watches his son burn, Aang when he finally realizes that he isn't living in the monasteries anymore and how yes, tragedy can and will happen. He can't let that happen.  
  
His fire is something familiar, warm and reassuring at his fingertips and he thinks that for just a second Azula's eyes go wide as she spins away from Sokka _-a fraction of a second too late_ \- before the flames dance over her skin.  
  
She screams louder than he had, and Zuko laughs because it's _funny_. He looks at the raw, melted candlewax side of her face and laughs until his throat is raw because _they'll have matching scars now_.  
  
+  
  
His execution is set for the day of Sozin's comet. Zuko closes his eyes against the darkness and rot of his cell and hopes that Aang knows how to succeed. 


End file.
